Dayboro, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Dayboro is a town in the Moreton Bay Region, approximately 46 km north-northwest of Brisbane
, the state capital of Queensland
, Australia
.
To the north of Dayboro lies the D'Aguilar Range
and the mountain township of Mount Mee
. Other nearby towns include Petrie
and Samford
. The land surrounding the town supports avocado
and pineapple
plantations, as well as dairy
cattle. The scenic countryside is a spectacular destination for motoring enthusiasts, with hilly backroads through rolling paddocks and forest.
The Dayboro Rodeo and Dayboro Show usually occur between May and July every year, as well as Dayboro Day, celebrating the town's unique rural heritage so close to the Brisbane CBD.
In 1917, however, as the Postmaster General declared that Terrors Creek sounded too much like Torrens Creek, once again, the township acquired a new name. Although the first known inhabitant, John McKenzie, operated a pit sawmill just south of the townsite from 1866, the third and final name selected for Dayboro honours another notable early settler, William Henry Day. Day was Clerk of Petty Sessions and later Police Magistrate in Brisbane. He first selected land in the Dayboro area in the late 1860s and pioneered sugar growing on his extensive properties in the district.
Settlement subsequently spread north and south along the North Pine River as more than 100 people took up selections in the Terrors Creek area. Timber, maize, vegetables and dairy products provided the main income for the settlers. The failure of Day's sugar growing experiment within a few years brought about the gradual breaking up of his large land holdings and facilitated the further development of the area. A store and hotel, the nucleus of the town, were established in the early 1890s and these were followed by a sawmill around 1900 and the Silverwood Butter Factory in 1903.
In 1915, in an article urging the extension of the railway from Enoggera to Terror's Creek, the township was described as "being set prettily on a hillside, and being the centre of miles of agricultural, dairying and fruit lands". According to the article [Australian Pastoralist, Grazing Farmers' and Selectors' Gazette, September 1915, Supplement, pp. 2–3], there was "an up-to-date butter factory, bank, several stores, an excellent hotel, a large sawmill, public hall, etc., and a community ever ready to co-operate in the advancement of their district".
The Dayboro line is also famous for Queensland's worst rail disaster, which occurred on the morning of 5 May 1947 near Camp Mountain. For more on the accident see Camp Mountain rail accident.
Remnants of the railway line can still be found throughout Dayboro and surrounding districts, including former railway bridges over the North Pine River, and cuttings along Strong Road. Railway pits were once located between the local swimming pool and sawmill.
The town centre has experienced a good deal of new development, boasting now a supermarket,a petrol station several cafes and boutique stores.
However historic stores, including the butcher, post office and the former bank building, as well as the Crown Hotel remain.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the state capital of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
To the north of Dayboro lies the D'Aguilar Range
D'Aguilar Range
The D'Aguilar Range is a mountain range near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The town of Dayboro is situated on the lower foothills midway along the range and Woodford lies at the northern most point of the range. Many residential areas line its eastern slopes including the town of Samford and the...
and the mountain township of Mount Mee
Mount Mee, Queensland
Mount Mee is a suburb and mountain in Queensland, Australia, located north of the town of Dayboro on the D'Aguilar Range.-History:The area around Mount Mee was known to the indigenous inhabitants of the area as Dahmongah, a word meaning "flying squirrel" or glider...
. Other nearby towns include Petrie
Petrie, Queensland
Petrie is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region. It is located in the North Pine River section of its local council 24 kilometres north of Brisbane City....
and Samford
Samford, Queensland
Samford is a valley community located in South East Queensland, Australia. It is roughly 21 km north west of Brisbane. The hilly area was first settled in the mid 1850s. The community is well catered for, with a number of sporting facilities, parks and museums.-Location:Samford is one of the...
. The land surrounding the town supports avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
and pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
plantations, as well as dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
cattle. The scenic countryside is a spectacular destination for motoring enthusiasts, with hilly backroads through rolling paddocks and forest.
The Dayboro Rodeo and Dayboro Show usually occur between May and July every year, as well as Dayboro Day, celebrating the town's unique rural heritage so close to the Brisbane CBD.
History
Dayboro was first known as Hamilton, having been so named after a farmer, Hugh Hamilton, who was appointed Receiving Officer for mail in 1875. In 1892, it became known as Terrors Creek from the creek on which it is situated. The creek and the adjoining area, which became known as Terrors Paddock, derived their names from a grey Arab stallion, Terah, owned in the 1850s by Captain John Griffin of the Whiteside run.In 1917, however, as the Postmaster General declared that Terrors Creek sounded too much like Torrens Creek, once again, the township acquired a new name. Although the first known inhabitant, John McKenzie, operated a pit sawmill just south of the townsite from 1866, the third and final name selected for Dayboro honours another notable early settler, William Henry Day. Day was Clerk of Petty Sessions and later Police Magistrate in Brisbane. He first selected land in the Dayboro area in the late 1860s and pioneered sugar growing on his extensive properties in the district.
Settlement subsequently spread north and south along the North Pine River as more than 100 people took up selections in the Terrors Creek area. Timber, maize, vegetables and dairy products provided the main income for the settlers. The failure of Day's sugar growing experiment within a few years brought about the gradual breaking up of his large land holdings and facilitated the further development of the area. A store and hotel, the nucleus of the town, were established in the early 1890s and these were followed by a sawmill around 1900 and the Silverwood Butter Factory in 1903.
In 1915, in an article urging the extension of the railway from Enoggera to Terror's Creek, the township was described as "being set prettily on a hillside, and being the centre of miles of agricultural, dairying and fruit lands". According to the article [Australian Pastoralist, Grazing Farmers' and Selectors' Gazette, September 1915, Supplement, pp. 2–3], there was "an up-to-date butter factory, bank, several stores, an excellent hotel, a large sawmill, public hall, etc., and a community ever ready to co-operate in the advancement of their district".
Dayboro Railway Line
On 25 September 1920 a railway line to Dayboro was opened, running through Samford from Ferny Grove. There were a number of stations servicing the line, including at Kobble Creek, Samsonvale, and Samford. The line serviced Dayboro and surrounding areas for 35 years, continuing to operate until 1 July 1955 when it closed due to declining traffic, largely from the increased access to the area by road traffic.The Dayboro line is also famous for Queensland's worst rail disaster, which occurred on the morning of 5 May 1947 near Camp Mountain. For more on the accident see Camp Mountain rail accident.
Remnants of the railway line can still be found throughout Dayboro and surrounding districts, including former railway bridges over the North Pine River, and cuttings along Strong Road. Railway pits were once located between the local swimming pool and sawmill.
Dayboro Today
From the 1950s to present day, Dayboro has evolved into what locals describe as a "sprawling and charming town" expanding with a series of housing estates since the late 1980s, mainly on the northern and eastern outskirts of the town.The town centre has experienced a good deal of new development, boasting now a supermarket,a petrol station several cafes and boutique stores.
However historic stores, including the butcher, post office and the former bank building, as well as the Crown Hotel remain.
Places of interest
- The Butter Factory (Williams Street)
- Crown Hotel
- Glengariff Estate Winery
- Mt Mee State Forest
- Hay Cottage
- Dayboro Swimming Pool & Gym
- Terah's Restaurant
- Dayboro Art Gallery